Red Japanese Barberries

Oil on linen.

24x30"

Red Japanese barberries spill over the grey stones like falling rain. Their tiny leaves burn in every shade of red — scarlet, rust, and deep wine — and catch the soft light of the garden. Between the boulders, rocky steps lead up to a platform above, where the view is veiled by a rain cloud. Two crows share the moment: one lifts into the pale sky, and one waits on the grass, watching. Moss and emerald-green grasses and shrubs soften every edge. A potted plant rests on the stone below, quiet and still. Beyond the rockery, the lawn opens into a soft, hazy green. It is a calm and secret corner of the rock garden, painted stroke by stroke from life.